Cleaning device

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to a handheld cleaning device for fabric surfaces, including soft furnishings and carpet that dispenses under pressure a cleaning composition in the form of droplets and subsequently removes a substantial amount of the cleaning fluid and any associated soil.

This invention relates to a cleaning device, particularly but not limited to a cleaning device for fabric surfaces, including soft furnishings and carpet.

When a substance is spilled on a carpet or fabric a problem arises in how the spill should be cleaned. Simply wiping the spill with a cloth often has the effect of only diluting and spreading the material that has been spilled. Sucking the spill from the carpet or fabric with a suction device such as a vacuum cleaner is also inappropriate, because the spilled material often penetrates into the carpet or fabric to such an extent that suction alone will not work. Suitable ready to use products are available in the market but their use is laborious and requires several steps and usually leave the surface wet not ready for use.

It is an object of the present invention to address the above mentioned disadvantages.

According to a first aspect of the present invention a cleaning device comprises a cleaning composition store, cleaning composition supply means, cleaning composition removal means and a used cleaning composition store, wherein the cleaning composition supply means are operable to supply the cleaning composition from the cleaning composition store to a cleaning location, wherein the cleaning composition is supplied in a spray or a jet at a speed in the range of 0.001-30 g/sec, and wherein the cleaning composition removal means are operable to remove used cleaning composition and waste material from the cleaning location to the used cleaning composition store.

The cleaning composition may be a powder or may be a liquid spray preferably formed of droplets.

Atomised droplets are smaller than those obtained, for example, by conventional aerosols dispensers. Atomised cleaning compositions generally have a distribution of droplet sizes, which can be characterised by volume diameter (Dv). The distribution can be defined by using the Dv(10), Dv(50) and Dv(90) values. In the present invention, the atomised aqueous composition may, for example, have a Dv(50) of less than 850 μm, preferably less than 650 μm, and more preferably from 100 μm to 800 μm. Alternatively or additionally the aqueous composition may have a Dv(90) of less than 900 μm, preferably less than 700 μm, and more preferably from 200 μm to 850 μm. Alternatively or additionally the aqueous composition may have a Dv(10) of less than 100 μm, preferably less than 80 μm, and more preferably from 10 μm to 100 μm. Dv values can be determined using laser particle size determination equipment such as the Mastersizer-S produced by Malvern Instruments, Malvern, UK.

The speed of the spray may in the range 0.05, 0.06, 0.07, 0.08 or 0.09 to 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27 or 29 g/sec. The speed of the spray is preferably in the range 0.01 to 15 g/sec.

The cleaning composition store may be removable from the cleaning device. The cleaning composition store may be replaceable. The cleaning material store may be an aerosol container.

The whole of the cleaning device is preferably a hand-held cleaning device. The cleaning device preferably has a weight less than 1 kg, preferably less than 0.6 kg.

The cleaning device preferably has a major length of less than 80 cm, preferably less than 60 cm.

The cleaning location may be part of a floor covering such as a carpet; or may be a section of fabric, or may be a section of upholstery or textiles material.

The used cleaning composition store is preferably removable for emptying.

The cleaning device may include a cleaning composition heating section, preferably operable to heat the cleaning composition as it passes from the cleaning composition supply means.

The invention extends to a cleaning composition store adapted for use in the cleaning device of the first aspect.

According to another aspect of the present invention a cleaning device comprises a cleaning composition store, wherein the cleaning device is operable to supply the cleaning composition from the cleaning composition store to a cleaning location, wherein the cleaning composition is supplied in a spray or a jet at a speed in the range of 0.001-30 g/sec.

According to a second aspect of the present invention a cleaning device comprises a cleaning composition store, cleaning composition supply means, cleaning composition removal means and a used cleaning composition store, wherein the cleaning composition supply means are operable to supply the cleaning composition in a spray from the cleaning composition store to a cleaning location, wherein a Dv (50) of droplets of the spray cleaning composition is less than 850 microns, and wherein the cleaning composition removal means are operable to remove used cleaning composition and waste material from the cleaning location to the used cleaning composition store.

According to a third aspect of the present invention a cleaning device comprises a cleaning composition store, cleaning composition supply means, cleaning composition removal means and a used cleaning composition store, wherein the cleaning composition supply means are operable to supply the cleaning composition from the cleaning composition store to a cleaning location, wherein the cleaning composition is supplied in a spray, and wherein the cleaning composition removal means are operable to remove used cleaning composition and waste material from the cleaning location to the used cleaning composition store, characterised in that the cleaning device is adapted to be handheld.

According to a fourth aspect of the invention a method of cleaning comprises supplying a cleaning composition from a cleaning composition store to a cleaning location with cleaning composition supply means, the cleaning composition being applied in a spray at a speed in the range 0.001 to 30 g/sec.

According to a fifth aspect of the invention a method of cleaning comprises supplying a cleaning composition from a cleaning composition store to a cleaning location with cleaning composition supply means, the cleaning composition being applied in a spray wherein a Dv(50) of droplets of the sprayed cleaning composition is less than approximately 850 microns.

The method may involve removing used cleaning composition and waste from the cleaning location, which removal may be by suction, using a suction section of cleaning composition removal means.

According to a sixth aspect of the invention a method of cleaning comprises supplying a cleaning composition from a cleaning composition store to a cleaning location with cleaning composition supply means, removing used cleaning composition and waste from the cleaning location, the cleaning device being handheld.

The method may include heating the liquid cleaning composition prior to spraying on the cleaning location. Preferably the temperature of the liquid cleaning composition is greater than 25° C., 30° C., 35° C., 40° C., 45° C. 50° C., 55° C. or 60° C. at the point of exiting the device. Preferably the temperature of the liquid cleaning composition is less than 80° C., 75° C., 70° C., 65° C., 60° C., 55° C., 50° C. or 45° C.

The particle size distribution of a spray which may be a spray of droplets can be determined by following the procedure described below.

A suitable test equipment is the Malvern Mastersizer S LongBed® with 1000 mm lens and a maximum particle size range of 3475 microns. The Malvern Mastersizer S LongBed® provides 21 cm opening (between lenses) to accommodate spray flow. In all readings at the Malvern®, the lens surface must remain free of spray contamination. In the present setup procedure, the distance from nozzle to laser was fixed at 8 cm, this to minimise lens contamination. At 8 cm distance, the spray was directed to the laser beam to place the laser center to the spray cone. At least three readings have to be made for each composition sprayed to determine the particle size distribution of the spray of droplets.

Any cleaning composition supply means adapted to deliver a spray as defined herein are suitable for use herein. Several modifications can be made to a conventional, single aperture, spray head to ensure that a spray of such droplets as required herein is formed. Suitable containers and cleaning composition supply means to be used herein (also called spray dispensers) share the common feature of having at least one aperture or a plurality of apertures also called “dispensing openings” through which the cleaning composition is dispensed, said apertures being configured so as to deliver the spray of droplets having the characteristics mentioned herein.

Typically the cleaning composition output from the device herein is from 5 ml/minute to 750 ml/minute, preferably from 20 ml/minute to 400 ml/minute, more preferably from 20 ml/minute to 250 ml/minute.

The cleaning composition supply means may be electrically operated. Preferred herein is to use a device wherein the cleaning composition supply means comprises an electrically driven pump. The composition is pumped by the electrically driven pump from the cleaning composition store, to a dispensing opening in the cleaning composition supply means from which it is dispensed. It is preferred that the dispensing opening communicates with the cleaning composition store by means of a flexible connnector. The electrically driven pump may be, for example, a gear pump, an impeller pump, a piston pump, a screw pump, a peristaltic pump, a diaphragm pump, or any other miniature pump. In an embodiment of the electrically driven pump for use herein the pump is a gear pump with a typical speed between 6000 rpm and 12000 rpm. The electrically driven pump is driven by a means such as an electric motor which typically produce a torque between 1 and 20 mN.m. The electric motor must in turn be provided with a power source for the cleaning composition supply means or the cleaning composition removal means. The power source may be either mains electricity (optionally via transformer), or it may be a throw-away battery or rechargeable battery.

The beneficial combination of spraying a low amount of liquid and suction results in a faster drying time while delivering excellent cleaning performance.

By “dry” it is meant herein the stage where at least 40%, preferably at least 60% of the initial amount of composition dispensed onto the carpet is lost due to removal by the cleaning composition removal means.

Another preferred feature of the method of cleaning of the present invention is that the composition used has a residuality index of less than 40% after passing the cleaning device over the cleaning location.

Typically, the compositions according to the present invention have a residuality index of less than 30% after vacuum cleaning, preferably less than 25%, more preferably less than 15% and most preferably less than 10%.

The residuality index after cleaning (TVRi) is defined as follows: ${{TVRi}\quad(\%)} = {\frac{Wfr}{Wsp} \times 100}$ Wherein: Wsp=Wsb−Wsa represents weight of the sprayed liquid obtained by weighing the device before (Wsb) and after (Wsa) spraying. And Wfr=Wf−Ws represents the final weight of the product residue on the carpet sample obtained as difference between the final weight of the carpet sample after having been treated with the cleaning device (Wf) its initial weight (Ws). Wf, Ws, Wsa, Wsb and Wfl can be expressed in any weight unit provided that the same unit is used for the three parameters.

A suitable test method to determine the residuality index is the one mentioned as follows:

A square 10×10 cm sample of the cleaning location material, such as carpet, is weighted before and after submitting it to a vacuum cleaning with a Hoover® 1300 W for 10 seconds. In order to avoid interference of the weight lost of the carpet itself (e.g. fibers) when submitted to vacuum cleaning in determination of the residuality index it is important to repeat the vacuum cleaning several times as required and weigh the carpet sample thereafter, unless the weight loss due to the vacuuming is less than 5% of composition dosage (i.e., for a sample of 100 cm² and a dosage of 50 gr/m², the loss due to vacuuming has to be less than 0.025 gr). The latest weight for the carpet sample following the hereinbefore procedure is Ws.

The cleaning device is weighed with a proper scale before use.

Then the cleaning device is passed over the carpet sample, during which the cleaning composition is sprayed onto the carpet and removed by the cleaning composition removal means and the sample is weighed thereafter to determine Wfl.

It has now been found that compositions having the residuality index as defined herein provide excellent overall cleaning performance while reducing or even preventing the formation of tacky residues on the surface of the cleaning location.

All of the features described herein can be combined with any of the above aspects, in any combination.

For a better understanding of the invention, and to show how embodiments of the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a cleaning device; and

FIG. 2 is a schematic partial view showing greater detail of a dispersing and removal operation of the cleaning device.

A cleaning device for use in cleaning fabrics comprises a body section 10, part of which forms a handle 12 having an on/off button 14 located thereon for activation of suction as described below. There is also a trigger or lever (not shown) which when activated causes flow of the cleaning composition as described below.

Beneath the handle section is a cavity 16 for storage of a battery or batteries for powering a pump 18, an optional heating element 20 and/or a suction pump 22. Power may alternatively be provided by a mains supply.

The cleaning device incorporates a cleaning composition cavity 24 which receives a cleaning composition container 26, which may be an aerosol canister or another type of pressurised container. Alternatively, the container 26 may store a liquid cleaning composition or a powder cleaning composition.

A flexible conduit 28 leads from the container 26 to the pump 18 then through the optional heating element 20 to an outlet nozzle 30, which is housed in a lower flared enclosure formed by an outer skirt 32 that opens downwards towards a surface to be cleaned.

Also within the flared enclosure is an uptake nozzle 34 which leads by a flexible pipe 36 to the suction pump 22.

The suction pump 22 has an outlet spigot 39, which provides a fluid path into a used cleaning composition and waste matter store 40.

In use, a user places a cleaning composition container 26 into the cleaning composition cavity 24. The cleaning composition may be the applicant's VANISH® product or may be another specifically designed product suitable for cleaning stains from fabrics, carpets or the like. The product may be a liquid based product or may be a powder.

The cleaning composition may be held in the container 26 in an aerosol type dispensing arrangement or as a liquid or powder simply held in the container 26.

On operating the on/off button 14 the suction pump 22 is switched on. On activation of the lever or trigger, the pump 18 (or other actuation means known to those skilled in the art where the container 26 is an aerosol container) causes the cleaning composition to be drawn from the cleaning composition container 26 down the flexible conduit 28, through the pump 18 and passed the optional heating element 20 which may heat the cleaning composition to improve the cleaning characteristics thereof. A separate switch may be provided to allow activation or deactivation of the heating element 20. The heating element 20 may heat the cleaning composition to a temperature of 40° C. The functions of the on/off button 14 and the trigger/lever may be combined.

From the heating element 20 the cleaning composition passes to the outlet nozzle 30, which is shown in FIG. 1, and in more detail in FIG. 2. From there the cleaning composition is sprayed onto a fabric/carpet surface 42. The power of the pump 18 is sufficiently great to cause the cleaning composition to be sprayed at a speed of 0.01 to 15 g/sec. Such a speed has advantageous properties in that good penetration of the cleaning composition into the carpet/fabric 42 is achieved. This allows good cleaning by the cleaning composition, rather than just superficial cleaning on the surface of the carpet or fabric 42. Also, the combination of the pressure of 0.1-5 bars in combination with the size of openings in outlet nozzle 30 causes particularly small diameter droplets of the cleaning composition when it is a liquid. The small size of droplet is advantageous in that good penetration of the cleaning composition into the fabric/carpet 42 is achieved, particularly in combination with the high speed of delivery thereof.

When the cleaning composition has been advantageously sprayed with fine droplet spray at great speed at the carpet/fabric 42 it is removed via the suction nozzle 34 which is located to the rear of the outlet nozzle 30. The suction pump 22 causes the cleaning composition and waste material released from the carpet/fabric 42 by the cleaning composition to be drawn up the flexible conduit 36 to the suction pump 22 then out of the spigot 38 into the container 40 for temporary storage.

The container 40 is detachable from the body section 10 to allow for removal of the container 40 so that it can be emptied of used cleaning composition and waste material. There may be a sealing arrangement for the spigot 38 to prevent residual fluid therein emptying from the spigot 38 when the container 40 is detached.

The cleaning device is advantageously handheld to allow for easy use thereof. The device preferably has a weight less than 1 kg although this may be less than 0.6 kg. Typically, the length of the device may be less than 80 cm or less than 60 cm.

The cleaning device may have a base section (not shown) in which the device may be placed when not in use. The base section may have electrical contacts and an electrical lead and plug to allow for recharging of batteries within the battery section 16.

The cleaning device described herein is of particular use for cleaning spills or stains, such as wine stains in the manner as described above. However, the device could also be used for more general cleaning purposes, in which case a larger container 40 would be required, as well as larger container 26 for provision of a greater amount of cleaning composition.

A cleaning device could use the beneficial feature of the rate of supply of cleaning composition and the droplet size mentioned above in a handheld device comprising simply a cleaning composition container adapted to eject a cleaning composition onto a surface or item to be cleaned. Such a device would not be operable to remove the cleaning composition, which operation would be carried out separately. The cleaning composition container may be an aerosol canister or may be another type of container.

The cleaning composition used may be any of those suitable for cleaning stains in carpets or fabrics etc. The products may be in the form of a gel, a liquid, a powder (which may be compressed), or any other suitable type that will be sprayed.

A superwetting agent can be added to overcome the problem associated with the high repellancy of carpet to water. This is primarily caused from two sources, the first being the amount of soiling which can accumulate on carpets and, secondly, the prevalence of stain repelling treatments, which are increasingly commonly applied to carpets either during manufacture or by the consumer. In this invention a super wetting agent is a special surfactant added at levels of below 10% w/w of the composition, preferably below 9, 8, 7, 6 or 5% w/w, of the composition, that can, combined with any other surfactant present in the composition, is able to lower the surface tension of the final diluted liquid cleaning formulation to values below 28 mN/m, when 10 g is dissolved in 4 litres of water.

Preferably a product is used having from 50 and 500 ml of liquid carpet cleaning composition per machine, ideally from 100 to 250 ml.

Builders

The cleaning composition comprises at least one builder active or a combination of builders from 0.1 to 90% w/w, preferably from 0.1 to 50% w/w. Preferably the builder is soluble or miscible with the cleaning composition.

Suitable carboxylate compounds are used and include the monomeric polycarboxylates, or their acid forms and polymeric polycarboxylic acids or their salts. Polymeric polycarboxylic acids are preferred for the reasons given above, in terms of protecting the water-soluble polymer.

The carboxylate builder can be monomeric or polymeric in type, monomeric polycarboxylates are generally preferred for reasons of cost and performance.

Suitable and preferred polymeric polycarboxylic acids are iminosuccinic acid or polyaspartic acid, mixtures thereof or their metal/amino salts. Examples of these polymers are Baypure CX 100/34 and Baypure DS 100/40 supplied from Bayer.

Suitable carboxylates containing one carboxy group include the water soluble salts of lactic acid, glycolic acid and ether derivatives thereof. Polycarboxylates containing two carboxy groups include the water-soluble salts of succinic acid, malonic acid, (ethylenedioxy) diacetic acid, maleic acid, diglycolic acid, tartaric acid, tartronic acid and fumaric acid, as well as the ether carboxylates and the sulfinyl carboxylates. Polycarboxylates containing three carboxy groups include, in particular, water-soluble citrates, aconitrates and citraconates as well as succinate derivates such as the carboxymethloxysuccinates described in GB-A-1,379,241, lactoxysuccinates described in GB-A-1,389,732, and aminosuccinates described in NL-A-7205873, and the oxypolycarboxylate materials such as 2-oxa-1,1,3-propane tricarboxylates described in GB-A-1,387,447.

Polycarboxylate containing four carboxy groups include oxydisuccinates disclosed in GB-A-1,261,829, 1,1,2,2-ethane tetracarboxylates, 1,1,3,3-propane tetracarboxylates and 1,1,2,3-propane tetracarobyxlates. Polycarboxylates containing sulfo substituents include the sulfosuccinate derivatives disclosed in GB-A-1,398,421, GB-A-1,398,422 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,936,448, and the sulfonated pyrolsed citrates described in GB-A-1,439,000.

Alicylic and heterocyclic polycarboxylates include cyclopentane-cis,cis,cis-tetracarboxylates, cyclopentadienide pentacarboxylates, 2,3,4,5,6-hexane-hexacarboxylates and carboxymethyl derivates of polyhydric alcohols such as sorbitol, mannitol and xylitol. Aromatic polycarboxylates include mellitic acid, pyromellitic acid and the phthalic acid derivatives disclosed in GB-A-1,425,343.

Of the above, the preferred polycarboxylates are hydroxycarboxylates containing up to three carboxy groups per molecule, more particularly citrates.

More preferred are the polymer builders, i.e. polymeric polycarboxylic acid, which are homo-polymers, copolymers and multiple polymers of acrylic, flourinated acrylic, sulfonated styrene, maleic anhydride, metacrylic, iso-butylene, styrene and ester monomers. Examples of these polymers are Acusol supplied from Rohm & Haas, Syntran supplied from Interpolymer and Versa and Alcosperse series supplied from Alco Chemical, a National Starch & Chemical Company.

Suitable builders are bicarbonates, sesquicarbonates, borates, phosphates, phosphonates, and mixtures of any of thereof.

Water-soluble phosphonate and phosphate builders are useful for this invention. Examples of phosphate builders are the alkali metal tripolyphosphates, sodium potassium and ammonium pyrophosphate, sodium and potassium and ammonium pyrophosphate, sodium and potassium orthophosphate sodium polymeta/phosphate in which the degree of polymerisation ranges from 6 to 21, and salts of phytic acid.

Specific examples of water-soluble phosphate builders are the alkali metal tripolyphosphates, sodium potassium and ammonium pyrophosphate, sodium and potassium and ammonium pyrophosphate, sodium and potassium orthophosphate, sodium polymeta/phosphate in which the degree of polymerization ranges from 6 to 21, and salts of phytic acid.

Examples of bicarbonate and carbonate builders are the alkaline earth and the alkali metal carbonates, including sodium carbonate and sesqui-carbonate and mixtures thereof. Other examples of carbonate type builders are the metal carboxy glycine and metal glycine carbonate.

Surfactants

Examples of surfactants considered in this invention are either anionic, non-ionic or cationic. Preferred total levels of surfactant are from 0.1 to 70% w/w, ideally from 1 to 30% wt and preferably between 5 to 20% w/w.

Examples of non-ionic surfactant are described in the formula RO(CH2CH2O)nH wherein R is a mixture of linear, even carbon-number hydrocarbon chains ranging from C12H25 to C16H33 and n represents the number of repeating units and is a number of from about 1 to about 12. Examples of other non-ionic surfactants include higher aliphatic primary alcohols containing about twelve to about 16 carbon atoms which are condensed with about three to thirteen moles of ethylene oxide.

Other examples of non-ionic surfactants include primary alcohol ethoxylates (available under the Neodol™ from Shell Co.), such as C11 alkanol condensed with 9 moles of ethylene oxide (Neodol 1-9), C12-13 alkanol condensed with 6.5 moles ethylene oxide (Neodol 23-6.5), C12-13 alkanol with 9 moles of ethylene oxide (Neodol 23-9), C12-15 alkanol condensed with 7 or 3 moles ethylene oxide (Neodol 25-7 or Neodol 25-3), C14-15 alkanol condensed with 13 moles ethylene oxide (Neodol 45-13), C9-11 linear ethoxylated alcohol, averaging 2.5 moles of ethylene oxide per mole of alcohol (Neodol 91-2.5), and the like.

Other examples of non-ionic surfactants suitable for use in the present invention include ethylene oxide condensate products of secondary aliphatic alcohols containing 11 to 18 carbon atoms in a straight or branched chain configuration condensed with 5 to 30 moles of ethylene oxide. Examples of commercially available non-ionic detergents of the foregoing type are C11-15 secondary alkanol condensed with either 9 moles of ethylene oxide (Tergitol 15-S-9) or 12 moles of ethylene oxide (Tergitol 15-S-12) marketed by Union Carbide, a subsidiary of Dow Chemical.

Octylphenoxy polyethoxyethanol type non-ionic surfactants, for example, Triton X-100, as well as amine oxides can also be used as a non-ionic surfactant in the present invention.

Other examples of linear primary alcohol ethoxylates are available under the Tomadol™ such as, for example, Tomadol 1-7, a C11 linear primary alcohol ethoxylate with 7 moles EO; Tomadol 25-7, a C12-C15 linear primary alcohol ethoxylate with 7 moles EO; Tomadol 45-7, a C14-C15 linear primary alcohol ethoxylate with 7 moles EO; and Tomadol 91-6, a C9-C11 linear alcohol ethoxylate with 6 moles EO.

Amine oxides can also be used as the non-ionic surfactant of the present invention. Exemplary useful amine oxide compounds may be defined as one or more of the following of the four general classes:

(1) Alkyl di (lower alkyl) amine oxides in which the alkyl group has about 6-24, and preferably 8-18 carbon atoms, and can be straight or branched chain, saturated or unsaturated. The lower alkyl groups include between 1 and 7 carbon atoms, but preferably each include 1-3 carbon atoms. Examples include octyl dimethyl amine oxide, lauryl dimethyl amine oxide, myristyl dimethyl amine oxide, and those in which the alkyl group is a mixture of different amine oxides, such as dimethyl cocoamine oxide, dimethyl (hydrogenated tallow) amine oxide, and myristyl/palmityl dimethyl amine oxide;

(2) Alkyl di (hydroxy lower alkyl) amine oxides in which the alkyl group has about 6-22, and preferably 8-18 carbon atoms, and can be straight or branched chain, saturated or unsaturated. Examples include bis-(2-hydroxyethyl) cocoamine oxide, bis(2-hydroxyethyl) tallowamine oxide; and bis-(2-hydroxyethyl) stearylamine oxide;

(3) Alkylamidopropyl di(lower alkyl) amine oxides in which the alkyl group has about 10-20, and preferably 12-16 carbon atoms, and can be straight or branched chain, saturated or unsaturated. Examples include cocoamidopropyl dimethyl amine oxide and tallowamidopropyl dimethyl amine oxide; and

(4) Alkylmorpholine oxides in which the alkyl group has about 10-20, and preferably 12-16 carbon atoms, and can be straight or branched chain, saturated or unsaturated.

Useful anionic surfactant are frequently provided in a salt form, such as alkali metal salts, ammonium salts, amine salts, amino alcohol salts or magnesium salts. Contemplated as useful are one or more sulfate or sulfonate compounds including: alkyl sulfates, alkyl ether sulfates, alkylamidoether sulfates, alkyl benzene sulfates, alkyl benzene sulfonates, alkylaryl polyether sulfates, monoglyceride sulfates, alkylsulfonates, alkylamide sulfonates, alkylarylsulfonates, olefinsulfonates, paraffin sulfonates, alkyl sulfosuccinates, alkyl ether sulfosuccinates, alkylamide sulfosuccinates, alkyl sulfosuccinamate, alkyl sulfoacetates, alkyl carboxylates, alkyl phosphates, alkyl ether phosphates, acyl sarconsinates, acyl isethionates, and N-acyl taurates. Generally, the alkyl or acyl radical in these various compounds comprise a carbon chain containing 12 to 20 carbon atoms.

Other examples of anionic surfactants are also alkyl naphthalene sulfonate anionic surfactants of the formula:

wherein R is a straight chain or branched alkyl chain having from about 1 to about 25 carbon atoms, saturated or unsaturated, and the longest linear portion of the alkyl chain is 15 carbon atoms or less on the average, M is a cation which makes the compound water soluble especially an alkali metal such as sodium or magnesium, ammonium or substituted ammonium cation.

Other examples are alkyl sarcosinate, sulfosuccinate and alkyl sulfate anionic surfactants of the formula

wherein R is a straight chain or branched alkyl chain having from about 8 to about 18 carbon atoms, saturated or unsaturated, and the longest linear portion of the alkyl chain is 15 carbon atoms or less on the average, M is a cation which makes the compound water soluble especially an alkali metal such as sodium or magnesium, ammonium or substituted ammonium cation, and x is from 0 to about 4.

Most preferred are the non-ethoxylated C12-15 primary and secondary alkyl sulfates, especially sodium lauryl sulfate.

Most desirably, the anionic surfactant according to constituent is selected to be of a type that dries to a friable powder. This facilitates their removal from carpets and carpet fibres, such as by brushing or vacuuming.

The cationic surfactants of the invention are quaternary ammonium salts which may be characterised by the general structural formula:

wherein R1, R2, R3 and R4 are independently selected from alkyl, aryl or alkylaryl substituent of from 1 to 26 carbon atoms, and the entire cation portion of the molecule has a molecular weight of at least 165. The alkyl substituents may be long-chain alkyl, long-chain alkoxyaryl, long-chain alkylaryl, halogen-substituted long-chain alkylaryl, long-chain alkylphenoxyalkyl and arylalkyl. The remaining substituents on the nitrogen atoms other than the above mentioned alkyl substituents are hydrocarbons usually containing no more than 12 carbon atoms. The substituents R1, R2, R3 and R4 may be straight-chained or may be branched, but are preferably straight-chained, and may include one or more amide, ether or ester linkages.

The counterion X− are selected from halogens anions, saccharinate, alkyl and alkyl benzene sulfate, sulfonate and fatty acid.

Super Wetting Agents

The super wetting agents of this invention are present at levels of from 0.1 to 10% w/w, ideally 0.5 to 5% w/w, and are selected from silicone glycol copolymers and fluorosurfactants. The silicone glycol copolymers are described by the following formula:

Where X, Y, m and n are whole number ranging from 0 to 25. X is preferably between 0 to 10 and Y, m and n between 0 to 5. R and R′ are straight chain or branched alkyl chain having from about 1 to 25 carbon atoms, saturated or unsaturated, and the longest linear portion of the alkyl chain is on average 15 carbon atoms or less. The fluorinated surfactant is described in the following formulae: (CF₂)_(n)—CH₂CH₂—S—CH₂CH₂—COOM F(CF₂)_(n)—N(CH3)(CH2)₃—(CH₂CH₂O)_(x)—OSO₂M CF₃(CF₂CF₂)_(n)(CFCF)_(m)—(CH₂CH₂O)_(x)—OPO₃M₂ Wherein n, m and x are integers having a value from 0 to 15; preferred values are between 1 and 12. M is a cation which is capable of making the compound water-soluble, especially an alkali metal such as sodium or magnesium or an ammonium or substituted ammonium cation.

The super wetting agents described are able to lower the surface tension in water at values below 25 mN/m at a concentration less than 0.1% w/v.

Antifoaming agents are an important addition to carpet cleaning compositions of this invention, they are used at a level between 0.01 and 5% w/w. A very high foam level may not allow the carpet cleaning machine to function properly. Antifoaming agents are also considered important components of this invention. Examples are polydimethylsiloxanes, preferably in combination with hydrophobic silica.

Solvents:

Organic solvents should be water-miscible or water emulsionable. The organic solvent is found at levels of 0.01 to 60% w/v, more preferably between 0.1 to 30% w/w. The organic solvent constituent of the inventive compositions include one or more alcohols, glycols, acetates, ether acetates, glycol ethers and hydrocarbons. Exemplary alcohols useful in the compositions of the invention include C2-C8 primary and secondary alcohols which may be straight chained or branched. Exemplary alcohols include pentanol and hexanol. Exemplary glycol ethers include those glycol ethers having the general structure Ra-O-Rb-OH, wherein Ra is an alkoxy of 1 to 20 carbon atoms, or aryloxy of at least 6 carbon atoms, and Rb is an ether condensate of propylene glycol and/or ethylene glycol having from 1 to 10 glycol monomer units. Preferred are glycol ethers having 1 to 5 glycol monomer units.

By way of further non-limiting example specific organic constituents include propylene glycol methyl ether, dipropylene glycol methyl ether, tripropylene glycol methyl ether, propylene glycol n-propyl ether, ethylene glycol n-butyl ether, diethylene glycol n-butyl ether, diethylene glycol methyl ether, propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, isopropanol, ethanol, methanol, diethylene glycol monoethyl ether acetate and particularly useful is, propylene glycol phenyl ether, ethylene glycol hexyl ether, diethylene glycol hexyl ether. Examples of hydrocarbons solvents are linear and branched, saturated and unsaturated carbon chain with a number of carbon atoms from C4-C40, preferably from C6-C22. 

1. A cleaning device comprising a cleaning composition store, cleaning composition supply means, cleaning composition removal means and a used cleaning composition store, wherein the cleaning composition supply means are operable to supply the cleaning composition from the cleaning composition store to a cleaning location, wherein the cleaning composition is supplied in a spray or a jet at a speed in the range 0.001-30 g/sec, and wherein the cleaning composition removal means are operable to remove used cleaning composition and waste material from the cleaning location to the used cleaning composition store.
 2. A cleaning device as claimed in claim 1, in which the cleaning composition is a liquid spray formed of droplets.
 3. A cleaning device as claimed in claim 1, in which the cleaning composition supply means is operable to atomise a liquid cleaning composition to give a Dv(50) of droplets of the atomised cleaning composition less than approximately 850 microns.
 4. A cleaning device as claimed in claim 1, in which the cleaning composition store is replaceable.
 5. A cleaning device as claimed in claim 1, which is a hand-held cleaning device.
 6. A cleaning device as claimed in claim 1, which has a major length of less than 80 cm.
 7. A cleaning device as claimed in claim 1, which includes a cleaning composition heating section.
 8. A cleaning device comprises a cleaning composition store, cleaning composition supply means, cleaning composition removal means and a used cleaning composition store, wherein the cleaning composition supply means are operable to supply the cleaning composition in a spray from the cleaning composition store to a cleaning location, wherein a Dv(50) of droplets of the spray cleaning composition is less than approximately 850 microns, and wherein the cleaning composition removal means are operable to remove used cleaning composition and waste material from the cleaning location to the used cleaning composition store.
 9. A cleaning device comprises a cleaning composition store, cleaning composition supply means, cleaning composition removal means and a used cleaning composition store, wherein the cleaning composition supply means are operable to supply the cleaning composition from the cleaning composition store to a cleaning location, wherein the cleaning composition is supplied in a spray, and wherein the cleaning composition removal means are operable to remove used cleaning composition and waste material from the cleaning location to the used cleaning composition store, characterised in that the cleaning device is adapted to be handheld.
 10. A method of cleaning comprises supplying a cleaning composition from a cleaning composition store to a cleaning location with cleaning composition supply means, the cleaning composition being applied in a spray a speed of 0.001-30 g/sec.
 11. A method as claimed in claim 10, in which the method involves removing used cleaning composition and waste from the cleaning location.
 12. A method as claimed in claim 10, which includes heating the cleaning composition prior to spraying the same on the cleaning location.
 13. A cleaning composition store for a cleaning device as claimed in claim
 1. 14. A cleaning device comprising cleaning composition store, wherein the cleaning device is operable to supply the cleaning composition from the cleaning composition store to a cleaning location, wherein the cleaning composition is supplied in a spray or a jet at a speed in the range of 0.001-30 g/sec. 